Within These White Walls
by SincerelyYoursss
Summary: The grand opening of Seattle Grace Hospital has arrived, and many world-renowned surgeons from around the country have relocated to Seattle to be apart of it. The famous neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd, world-class plastic surgeon Mark Sloan, Meredith and Lexie Grey: the daughters of the elusive Ellis Grey, and many other Grey's Anatomy favorites come together to make medical history.
1. Prologue

_Full Summary: AU. The grand opening of Seattle Grace Hospital has arrived. The Harper Avery Foundation has decided to open a research hospital in Seattle, WA and has cordially invited many world-renowned surgeons from around the country to be apart of it. The famous neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd, world-class plastic surgeon Mark Sloan, Meredith and Lexie Grey: the daughters of the elusive Ellis Grey, and many more Grey's Anatomy favorites come together to make medical history. Rated M._

_Author's Note: This chapter (the prologue) and chapter 1 are both published for your reading pleasure! This prologue is just an introduction of sorts of the characters, the story itself won't focus much on Catherine Avery but I felt she was the best character for the job of these simple introductions. I hope you all enjoy the story and don't be shy to review!_

* * *

Catherine Avery-Webber walked down the hollowed halls of Seattle Grace Hospital. The sterility of the blank white walls and empty white rooms was almost uneasy, but soon enough it would be bustling with medicine. In one week today, it would be officially open for business. All of her hard work is about to finally pay off. In one week today, she will be celebrating the grand opening of her very own hospital.

Well maybe not her _own_ personal hospital, but with the aid of the Harper Avery Foundation and her fellow surgeon and loving husband, Richard Webber, Seattle Grace was well on its way to becoming one of the premiere research hospitals in the country. Recruiting big players from all over the map, they have pulled together one of the most talented medical teams in the nation.

Catherine stepped into the Chief of Surgery office, admiring the room that would soon belong to her and Richard. Most of the furniture hadn't been moved in yet, but a big oak desk sat at the back of the room. It was empty for now but in just a few days it would be engulfed in piles of paperwork and coffee stains.

And she couldn't be more excited.

She stepped back into the hallway and glanced up at the pictures on the wall. There were, neatly lined up, headshots of the heads of each department. She beamed at the collection of incredible minds she would have the pleasure of working with at Seattle Grace. They were frontrunners in their specialties, many of them were published, and many of them had won prestigious awards, but the one quality about each of them that stood out to Mrs. Avery-Webber was their innovativeness. She was enamored by their curiosity and how they were fearless to take risks. That was exactly was Seattle Grace needed. Fresh and inquisitive minds to be the forerunners of the industry.

The left-most frame contains a smiling photo of Miranda Bailey, head of general surgery. Catherine had first happened upon her when she worked at Mass Gen years ago. Bailey was only a resident at the time, but one surgery with her and Catherine knew that she had just the right attitude and quick-thinking to make a great surgeon. After interviewing many general surgeons, Catherine had trouble finding someone with the right spark to bring along for this project of hers. But one night, she remembered the inspiring young resident at Mass Gen, and after a bit of research, she found herself in contact with Miranda Bailey, asking her to be part of her team.

The second photo is of a man with piercing blue eyes. This man is none other than Derek Shepherd, neurosurgeon extraordinaire. Not only is he the most famous surgeon in the state of New York, but he has a nation-wide following. It took Catherine a lot of convincing to persuade him to leave New York for the west coast, but once he was on board, it seemed that everyone else followed. Only days after Shepherd's deal closed, surgeons across the country were trying to get into Catherine's program.

The next photo depicts a stunning red-head. Addison Montgomery, head of obstetrics and gynecology as well as neo-natal medicine, was one of Catherine's more experimental choices when it came to this project. Addison hails from Los Angeles, California where she was a member of a local private practice. She is not as widely known as many of the other members of Seattle Grace. She is neither published or the recipient of numerous awards, but she has a fire that no one else has. The passion she has for medicine is unrivaled, making her a perfect candidate for this project.

Next in line is Calliope Torres, head of orthopedic surgery. Calliope was a woman that Catherine had worked with numerous times over the years. She had always respected her confidence and quick decision making under pressure, making her a no-brainer for Seattle Grace Hopsital.

Taking the space to her right is Mark Sloan, head of plastic surgery. Mark Sloan has quite the reputation in the plastic industry. He has many successful experimental surgeries under his belt, including facial transplants, penile reconstructions, and separation of conjoined twins. There wasn't anyone else in his practice that could even begin to match his prestige and experience. It was a conversation with Mark that sparked the idea of an independent research hospital in the first place.

Continuing down the wall is a picture of Preston Burke, head of cardiothoracic surgery. Burke was not a man that Catherine knew well, but he has recently emerged with multiple publications, putting him in the public's eye. Catherine offered him a position hoping to continue this kick-start to his career and bring a fresh mind to Seattle Grace.

To his right is a man named Owen Hunt, head of trauma. Hunt was a man that Catherine met at a medical conference. He was previously a surgeon serving in Iraq who had just been deployed back to the US. He had mentioned looking for a place to work domestically, and after reviewing his credentials seemed to be a good fit for Seattle.

The last photo on the wall belongs to Arizona Robbins, head of pediatric surgery. Arizona was a woman that Catherine had worked directly with for many years, mentoring her throughout her residency. She couldn't think of a more capable, intelligent, and charismatic pediatric surgeon to fill that role at her new hospital.

Smiling up at the beautiful faces on the wall, Catherine knew she made the right choices. In just one week from now, all of these incredible surgeons would be able to collaborate and, above all else, call Seattle Grace their home.


	2. Friday Morning Rain Is Falling

_Chapter 1: Friday Morning Rain Is Falling_

* * *

"Delayed!?" Meredith Grey yelled, discovering that her flight to Seattle was postponed, "What do you mean delayed!? I need to be in Seattle _tonight_."

Meredith had just been recruited as an attending surgeon at a newly opened hospital in Seattle. The Harper-Avery Foundation was opening a research hospital focusing on innovative research and moving the industry forward. When she applied she was only a resident, an unpublished everyday resident, and didn't expect to even be considered for the position. When she got the call for the interview she was shocked, and when she got a job as a general surgery attending she was even more shocked. With the only condition being that she passed her oral boards last spring, she jumped on the opportunity. Though she did suspect that there was some favoritism going on. Namely, her famous surgeon of a mother, Ellis Grey.

Of course, you couldn't prove that there was nepotism in the works. But considering her sister, Lexie Grey, also was accepted into the program, it seemed there was a strong case that could be made. But Meredith knew it was an incredible opportunity and that she was a more than competent surgeon, so it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.

Speaking of an incredible opportunity, the staff reception was tonight. Tonight was the night she was supposed to meet and mingle with her coworkers before work started on Monday. She was more than excited to meet some of the people she had read about in medical journals and textbooks.

But apparently, it would have to wait.

...

"Yang." an impatient oriental woman snapped at the desk receptionist.

"Cristin-"

"Yes."

"Room 317. Here's your room key. If you have any que-"

"Thanks" she said, making her way to the elevator. She pushed herself to the front of the queue of people as the doors opened.

She was sandwiched between a very nervous looking guy with shaggy hair and a very nervous looking girl with unnaturally orange hair, both of which were exercising nervous habits including nail biting and foot tapping. Cristina tried to hold herself together as the elevator traveled to the third floor. Once the doors opened she bolted out in search of room 317.

She pulled out the key, but before she could open the door, she was interrupted by a voice from behind her.

"You must be Cristina!"

She turned around to see a perky blonde girl smiling much too excitedly at her.

"I'm Isobel, but call me Izzie!" the blonde said, extending her hand.

"Hello." Cristina said, reluctantly shaking her hand. She turned back to walk into her room, but Izzie followed.

"What do you want?" Cristina asked blankly.

"To get to know you! We're going to be roommates at least until we find more permanent places to stay so we might as wel-" Izzie started to say.

"Roommates?" Cristina asked before promptly chuckling. She looked back at Izzie to see that she was still smiling at her. And not in a joking way. "No."

The Harper Avery Foundation had arranged for the surgeons to stay in hotels for the duration of the reception, and for as long as they needed until they could find an apartment in Seattle. It was such a handsome offer, but apparently Cristina skipped over the part of the email detailing how they wanted to emphasize the idea of being a "family" and would be pairing them off to get to know each other better.

Cristina threw her bags on the bed by the window and walked out of the room.

...

"Can I get drinks started for you while you wait?" the barista asked, trying to speed up the lengthy Friday morning coffee line.

"Medium vanilla latte with soy, please," a woman with dark cherry red hair requested.

"Um… I'll have the same," squeaked the lighter red head behind her.

The darker red head smiled at her slightly before returning her attention to the cash register.

"I never know what to order I'm really indecisive I usually go with a mocha because it seems like a go to kind of drink but I really feel like I need to mix it up you know routine gets boring after a while and especially with a thing like caffeine your body just gets used to it after a while and if it gets too used to it then you start having withdrawals and caffeine headaches and those are bad _baaaaaaad_," the lighter red head ranted.

The darker red head turned back to her and gave her an incredulous look, "Seems to me you've had plenty of caffeine already, you might want to think about decaf."

"Oh no no no I have a long day ahead of me trust me I neeeeeed this," the lighter red head said wide-eyed, "Oh I'm so sorry I rant when I'm nervous it's just I start a new job on Monday and I just moved to Seattle and I know it's the coffee capital of the world so I just wanted to check it out you know? Do you know any good coffee places around here because I assume that a coffee cart in a hotel isn't the best cup o' joe I'm gonna find in Seattle….the coffee capital of the world…." she trailed off, realizing she wasn't making the best impression on this stranger.

"Actually, I'm not from around here either," the darker red head responded, with a light chuckle.

"Vanilla latte for Addison" the barista chimed, prompting the darker red head to grab her beverage. She raised it slightly to the lighter red head before walking away in her pea coat and stilettos.

"Vanilla latte for April" the barista chimed seconds after, and the lighter red head grabbed her coffee (_her second one this morning_).

...

A disgruntled young man approached the receptionist desk, sweat on his brow and his hair muffled.

"I seem to have locked myself out of my room," he grumbled.

"Name and room number?" the clerk asked.

"O'Malley, George, room 322"

"It costs $5 to replace the key, I'll go ahead and charge it to your room. Here you go sir"

He grudgingly grabbed the key card and headed back to the elevator. Again.

Shall we rehash the events of this morning?

Room Key #1: George first arrived to the hotel. He received his room key. Or so he thought. But we'll get to that later. He went up to the third floor, brought all of his luggage to his door and swiped the key card. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. Lather, rinse, repeat. George had to go get a new room key.

Room Key #2: George headed back up with an assumedly working room key (and luckily this time it was). He managed to lug all of his stuff back up to the third floor for a second time and this time, the door opened with a swipe of a key. Beautiful. Except the sight inside of the room was not equally as beautiful. Occupying the bed closest to the window was his roommate, as expected, but you know what wasn't expected? His roommate was naked. And there was a girl in the bed. And she was also naked.

Room Key #3: So in all of the chaos that was seeing his coworker naked, George managed to drop his room key. Perfect.

After getting his third room key of the hour, George decided to get some fresh air. Today being one of the few days of the year that Seattle does not have rain (however gloomy the sky still looks).

* * *

_Author's Note: Hmmm, can you guess who Georgie's roommate is? _


	3. To Appendectomies

Thank you everyone for the feedback on the first chapter! To respond (briefly) to some of your reviews: Teddy will definitely make an appearance down the line, but you'll have to stay tuned to find out how she fits in as well as where everyone else's stories go!

I just wanted to say that these first couple of chapters are a bit scattered because I have so many characters to introduce, but soon they will become longer and more concise (aka there won't be like 5 storylines every chapter). So I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Richard Webber adjusted his bow tie one last time before offering his arm to his wife Catherine. She graciously accepted, and he escorted her into the banquet room. There was a giant table draped in a white table cloth in the middle of the room. Places were set with maroon cloth napkins and champagne glasses for each of the incoming attendings.

"This is it darling. All of the hard work we've put into this hospital is finally paying off," Richard said, admiring the banquet room.

"Oh sweetie, the hard work has barely begun," Catherine replied, giving him a peck on the cheek.

The clock struck 7, and moments later, guests began filing in. Surgeons apparently didn't buy into the whole "fashionably late" phenomenon.

Handshakes were exchanged all around the room as the surgeons met their colleagues.

After a slew of introductions, the staff settled in to their seats at the table. Elegant nametags delegated the occupant of each seat in a fancy gold script.

"How fancy," Cristina Yang commented to no one in particular as she took her seat.

"Fancy indeed," a deep voice chimed beside her.

"Preston Burke, head of cardio," he introduced himself, extending his arm.

Cristina's eyes widened as she shook his hand, "I know who you are. Preston Burke, lead cardiothoracic surgeon at Mayo. I read your article about minimally invasive vein harvesting and I just wanted to applaud your approach and ask a few questions abou-"

"May I have everyone's attention?" Richard Webber requested, standing from his position at the head of the table, "I would like to start by welcoming you all aboard. As you all know, Seattle Grace Hospital was a project that Catherine and I have been working on for years now and it is just incredible to see all of our plans fall into place. You are a beautiful and talented group of surgeons and I am confident we will make an outstanding team. This night is all about getting to know your coworkers and have a little fun before the real work starts on Monday."

Richard raised his glass, "to appendectomies."

The room was filled with chuckles and the clinking of glass.

…

"Ah, the famous Derek Shepherd. The man who could remove a brain aneurism in his _sleep._" Addison Montgomery said with a smile.

Derek let out a hearty laugh, "That's only a rumor. It was actually only a malignant mass," he joked.

Addison laughed, "Well that's significantly less impressive."

Addison couldn't help but notice the cute little wrinkles around his eyes when he laughed. His ice blue _dreamy_ eyes. The headshots in medical journals certainly did not do this man justice.

"And how about you?" Derek asked.

"Addison Montgomery, OB/GYN,"

"Ah, you're the one who gives mothers herbal 'medicines' instead of real drugs," Derek recalled, with a quizzical look.

Derek remembered Catherine telling him about a woman who practiced herbal medicine, and the image that came to mind was one of those young, feminist, hippie kind of women. Definitely not the breath-taking, sophisticated red-head in front of him.

"You're a skeptic now, but trust me, in no time you'll be a believer," Addison remarked confidently.

Derek was pretty sure that this woman could persuade him to believe most _anything_.

With a laugh, Derek raised his glass to her, "Well cheers to you and your herbs."

"Cheers to your malignant mass."

Although Addison really wanted to say _"cheers to your delicious ass"._

…

"Where's Meredith?" Catherine Avery asked the young brunette to her left.

"Her flight was delayed. She said she won't be here until morning," Lexie Grey replied apologetically.

Catherine looked unimpressed, but turned back to her husband.

A handsome tanned man settled himself into the seat between Catherine and Lexie. Lexie looked up and couldn't help notice that he had the complexion of something baked to the perfect golden crisp. He looked at her briefly and smiled before taking a sip of his champagne.

Lexie also couldn't help but notice that his eyes were a stunning lagoon blue, sparkling almost like the champagne in his hand. And what a nice hand it was…

She was broken out of her stupor by his voice (quite a melodic voice, she noted).

"Jackson Avery," he greeted with a smile (a dazzling smile).

"Oh_, Avery_," she spit out, a little star struck. Avery was a big name in the world of medicine. The Harper Avery award was only the most prestigious medical award in the country. And not to mention Seattle Grace was funded by none other than the Harper Avery Foundation. The Avery's were a long line of talented surgeons and from what Lexie knew about the youngest of the bunch, Jackson was no exception. And on top of that, he was _beautiful_. But that's more Lexie's opinion than scientific fact. Actually no, that's definitely a scientific fact.

"And who might you be?" Jackson asked, trying to divert the conversation away from his family lineage. There was nothing Jackson hated more than having people treat him like some kind of untouchable piece of art hanging in a museum. People were always too cautious around him, afraid to do or say the wrong thing. He, quite frankly, didn't even participate in Avery business if he didn't have to. In fact, he had turned down the Seattle Grace project numerous times. That was, until he received an offer he couldn't refuse: to work under Mark Sloan, the most renowned plastic surgeon in the country. His family wasn't quite happy with his choice to pursue plastics, but Jackson held his ground.

"I might be Lexie Grey," she replied with a hint of nerves in her voice.

"Oh, _Grey_," he mocked. Seemed Jackson wasn't the only one to come from a line of famous surgeons.

"Sorry," Lexie blushed, knowing all too well how it felt to be objectified by her name.

…

Chatter continued around the table for hours on end as the surgeons got to know one another, sharing stories of medical miracles as well as humorous personal anecdotes. Mark had the entire table laughing uncontrollably when he told the story of him hiring midgets for a benefit that went _horribly_ wrong. Arizona brought them to tears when she mentioned her 7-year old cancer patient who recently passed away after years of battling and multiple remissions. It was that little girl who convinced her to join Seattle Grace and relocate to the west coast. Owen captivated them all with stories from Iraq, stories of saving lives with very little medical equipment and in the most dangerous of conditions.

As the doctors began heading out for the night, talk of excitement and proposals for projects and trials circulated.

As Addison slipped on her coat, Derek approached with a proposal of a different kind, "There's a bar across the street, would you mind if I bought you a drink?"

He looked at her with a crooked smile and his piercing blue eyes. She practically melted right then and there. But she had to keep it together.

In her most poised and nonchalant voice, she responded, "sure."

But looking into eyes like those, she couldn't help but letting a grin escape.

* * *

EXTRA: A little treat for you all. Curious as to where Addison and Derek's night leads? Read "Mere Seconds" a one shot I wrote as a continuation of this chapter! It's M rated which is why it's not part of this story, but if you enjoy M rated stories, I urge you to read it :)

s/10138908/1/Mere-Seconds


	4. Side Effects Include: Exhaustion

_Hello everyone! I would like to thank you all for the feedback on the first couple chapters, it's really what motivates me to keep writing! A lot of you were asking about specific story lines, and this is what I'm going to say: most of the relationships are going to be canon (in tune with the show itself), but it's no fun if everyone just ends up with their soul mate right away! The characters have a long way to go before their stories are resolved and they get their happily ever after! Just be prepared for chaos to ensue, for love triangles to evolve, and for there to be lots of heart break before the pieces fall into place._

* * *

Meredith grabbed her luggage off the belt with a huff and took a good look around the airport terminal.

She could see a familiar face in the distance and released a breath of relief. After spending her last couple days waiting around in airports for hours on end, she was excited to engage in actual social contact.

"Lexie!" she yelled as she approached the thin brunette.

"Mer!" the brunette exclaimed back as she ran towards her sister.

"You don't even know how happy I am to see you Lex!"

The girls embraced as Meredith tried to juggle her luggage.

"Let me get that," Lexie offered, grabbing one of Meredith's suitcases. The two walked out of the terminal, right into the fresh Seattle rain.

"Oh, Seattle, how I've missed you," Meredith said sarcastically as she was soaked head to toe in the morning rain.

…

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Callie woke up to the sound of an alarm blaring. She glanced at the clock.

_Nine o'clock!?_

She was sure as hell she did not set an alarm to wake her up at this ungodly hour.

The beeping stopped, followed by the sound of sheets ruffling. She peeled one eye open to see her roommate, Arizona, rolling out of bed. She squinted a bit to see more clearly as Arizona grabbed her toothbrush and made her way to the bathroom. Callie's eyes felt heavy as she closed them and drifted back to sleep.

Arizona tip-toed out of the bathroom as to not wake her sleeping roommate. She quietly changed and slipped out of the room to go on her morning run.

…

"I know what will make you feel better! I found this new cute little café downtown. You'll love it Mer! They have the cutest little scones!" Lexie said to the still groggy Meredith.

Meredith's suitcases were laying on the floor of the girls' living room, or more accurately, their mother's living room. The girls had grown up in this house before going their separate ways for med school. Meredith had stayed in Boston, working at a local clinic, while Lexie moved back to Seattle for her intern year as well as her residency. Their parents, Ellis and Thatcher had moved out recently, in light of their mutual retirement. Though, Ellis wasn't much into the whole retirement thing and was continuing her research from the couple's retirement home in southern California.

Lexie had been living in the house alone for a while, and was glad Meredith was moving back in to keep her company. It had been way too quiet these last couple months.

Meredith was sprawled out on the sofa. She felt like a dead fish. She was _exhausted_. But the puppy dog eyes she was getting from her little sister, who she had to admit (though she really didn't want to) she missed a lot while she was in Boston, were so sad she didn't think she could refuse her anything at the moment. She thought for a minute before turning her head slightly towards Lexie, "Okay."

Lexie beamed with excitement and grabbed Meredith off the couch.

During the drive, Meredith had her eyes fixated out the window. All of the shops and parks and buildings she grew up with were still there, right where she'd left them. As much as she had wanted to branch out from Seattle after med school, she realized now that it really was her home and she was happy to be back. The car came to a stop when they arrived at a place called "Café au Lait". The exterior was exclusively made up of bricks and ivy, with the name in a curvy script above the door.

The girls walked in and were greeted by friendly baristas and the intoxicating smell of espresso.

"Hi girls, how are you?" the woman behind the register asked, "What can I get for you?"

"A small caramel latte and a small cappuccino please," Lexie ordered, "Oh and a blueberry scone."

Meredith smiled, her sister knew her all too well. She always ordered a caramel latte when she needed an extra pick-me-up.

…

Callie re-awoke to the sun finally pushing through the clouds. The quiet hum of the shower running in the adjoining bathroom played in the background as Callie got out her laptop and caught up on her e-mails.

Minutes later, the water turned off. Arizona walked out of the bathroom draped in a towel.

"Oh, you're up! Good morning sunshine!" she said with a chuckle. Callie was a little skeptical of her enthusiasm, as she was _anything_ but sunshine in the morning.

"Morning," she replied with a yawn.

"The water pressure in there is _tragic_," Arizona complained, referring to the hotel shower, "I need to start apartment hunting stat."

Callie thought to herself for a minute.

"I found a place downtown, but it's two bedroom. I'd need a roommate," she suggested. Arizona might be a little too upbeat for her tastes, but at this point she was getting desperate. She'd been looking for a studio apartment for weeks, but had virtually no luck. The only vacancies in Seattle were two or three bedroom apartments, which there was no way she could justify living alone in.

Arizona looked at Callie and smiled, "I'm in."

Callie smiled back and just hoped that she made the right choice.

…

"So tell me everything that happened," Meredith requested, taking a sip of her latte.

Lexie thought back to the events of the previous night, "Everyone seems so nice! The trauma guy, Owen, just came back from Iraq and let me tell you, he had some crazy heroic stories! One of the OB girls is actually a model. A _Playboy_ model. Or at least she used to be. And I may or may not have met a really cute guy!" Lexie dished.

"Who!?" Meredith asked.

"Well actually there were _lots_ of attractive men. But I spent most of the night talking to Jackson Avery. We just talked about our lives and normal things and he's so down-to-earth! I can't believe we've both lived in the same city our whole lives and never got the chance to meet before!"

"Avery!? Lex you know it's not a good idea to get mixed up with an Avery! People are going to think you're sleeping your way to the top," Meredith replied, giving her a reprimanding look.

"Trust me, Mer, I'm not sleeping my way anywhere. He's a cool guy, I'm a cool girl, we just hit it off. That's all there is to it. Promise."

"Okay," Meredith said in a distrusting tone. Lexie shot her a look.

"Okay, I believe you," she said after a minute, "Now tell me about the general surgeon."

"Her name is Bailey. I didn't get much chance to talk to her-"

"A little too preoccupied with Jackson, were we?" Meredith said with a smirk.

Lexie paused for a second to shoot another look in Meredith's direction, "Anyways, she seemed nice from what I could tell. Definitely funny!"

"That's all you can give me?" Meredith asked in disbelief.

"All I got, sorry."

…

_Later that night_

…

Owen Hunt slammed down another beer. He stared at his hands as he tried not to think about what he was trying not to think about.

"Woah there," Mark Sloan called out, taking the seat next to Owen, "A little early in the night to have inhaled this much beer."

Owen gave a half smile, "Hey Mark."

"Let me guess, women troubles?" Mark guessed.

Owen nodded, keeping his gaze on his hands.

"Two beers over here," Mark requested, "Let me tell you something about women: if you get too involved, you just set yourself up for trouble. My advice: don't fall in love. Saves you a lot of heartbreak. One night is good. Two nights, even better. But once she tries to hold your hand in public, you're heading down a dangerous road."

Owen looked at him, and smiled as a thank you for the beer. Mark's advice meant nothing to him, though. He had no idea what Owen was going through and a one-night stand was definitely not the solution. The company was nice though, it helped him forget, if only for a minute or two.

Mark glanced at Owen, noticing that his little pep talk didn't help much. The two sat there in silence for a few minutes sipping their beer.

"Why if it isn't my two favorite ladies," Mark bellowed as Callie and Arizona walked into the bar. The two headed in Mark and Owen's direction, "let me show you how it's done."

"What can I get you girls?" Mark offered.

"Tequila?" Callie suggested to Arizona.

"Tequila!" Arizona agreed.

"Alright, two tequilas over here Joe!" Mark requested. His charisma was undeniable, Owen would give him that. But he still didn't believe 'hit it and quit it' was a viable philosophy at this stage of his life. He grew out of that phase during college.

The girls toasted their tequila shots, "to our new apartment!"

"New apartment? What great news! I think that calls for another round of tequila!" Mark boomed.

The four sat at the bar, with the girls talking non-stop about their new place, and Mark feeding into their excitement. Owen downed the tequila as each round was served, and chimed in every once in a while, but was overall distracted by his thoughts.

At some point, the night started to get a little fuzzy to Owen. He tried really hard to concentrate on the conversation happening in front of him, but found it difficult to focus.

At one point, he thought he saw Mark lean in and whisper something to Callie. A blob of blonde moved closer into his line of vision.

"She's not coming back is she?" Arizona asked, but the sound just rung in Owen's ears.

Arizona put her hand on Owen's shoulder to stable him, as she got out her phone and called for a taxi. She rubbed his back while they waited.

She looked up to see Mark and Callie stumbling out of the bathroom. He led her by her hand out the front doors of the bar, with a lipstick stain embedded in his neck.

_Nope,_ Arizona thought, _she's definitely not coming back._


End file.
